How Long Can Perm Res Be Out of Country?

[doodlebugg 10]

Hi. Haven't been here in a long time. Husband has his permanent residency and I was just wondering how long he is able to stay at home in Cairo before it affects his status? Thanks.

[Harsh_77 718]

less than 6 months - to maintain his perm residence card he has to live in US for major portion of the year.

[doodlebugg 10]

less than 6 months - to maintain his perm residence card he has to live in US for major portion of the year.

OK so six months is the cutoff then? I ask because he told me that he heard from a friend that it just changed to three months but I can't find any literature stating that officially.

Thanks!

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

1 year without needing a re-entry permit. If between 1 and 2 years, he can apply for a reentry permit.

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=3f443a4107083210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD&vgnextchannel=3f443a4107083210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

If Cairo is his home, as you stated, he can get in trouble very quickly.

A Green Card holder needs to reside in the U.S. Uncle Sam requires that the United States are "home" for him now. A vacation at his former place of residence, even a longer one, is no problem. Taking care of a family member for a while isn't a problem either. But at about 6 months absence he can expect eyebrows to be raised and questions to be asked in order to determine if he did abandon his residency.

Most people have to work for a living, so a 6-months vacation is under almost any circumstances prohibitively expensive. But maybe you guys are wealthy, own a big company with many employees and don't have to work yourselves. If so, be prepared to show proof of that when returning to the US. If the CBP officer feels he's being hoodwinkled by a Green Card holder, he can confiscate the Green Card right away and only parole your husband into the US in order to see an immigration judge.

Basically, use common sense when leaving the US. It just has to make sense to an Immigration Officer who is trained to be suspicious.

[UncleB 0]

If Cairo is his home, as you stated, he can get in trouble very quickly.

A Green Card holder needs to reside in the U.S. Uncle Sam requires that the United States are "home" for him now. A vacation at his former place of residence, even a longer one, is no problem. Taking care of a family member for a while isn't a problem either. But at about 6 months absence he can expect eyebrows to be raised and questions to be asked in order to determine if he did abandon his residency.

Most people have to work for a living, so a 6-months vacation is under almost any circumstances prohibitively expensive. But maybe you guys are wealthy, own a big company with many employees and don't have to work yourselves. If so, be prepared to show proof of that when returning to the US. If the CBP officer feels he's being hoodwinkled by a Green Card holder, he can confiscate the Green Card right away and only parole your husband into the US in order to see an immigration judge.

Basically, use common sense when leaving the US. It just has to make sense to an Immigration Officer who is trained to be suspicious.

Excellent response Just Bob.

I just wanted to add one more thing. The time outside the US can often be irrelevant. I know people who have maintained their Green Cards while living abroad for many years. After being outside of the US for over a year, and then asked about their time abroad by the Immigration Officer, they would say "2 months" and get through the inspection with no additional questions asked.

One of the people that I know who were doing this, recently got his green card revoked at the border.

So it's not really a question of how long you have been outside of the US. The question is, where do you permanently reside? It should be pretty simple to prove if your primary place of residency is the US. It will be just as simple to get your green card revoked if you can't prove it.

[katiemanny 64]

Excellent response Just Bob.

I just wanted to add one more thing. The time outside the US can often be irrelevant. I know people who have maintained their Green Cards while living abroad for many years. After being outside of the US for over a year, and then asked about their time abroad by the Immigration Officer, they would say "2 months" and get through the inspection with no additional questions asked.

One of the people that I know who were doing this, recently got his green card revoked at the border.

So it's not really a question of how long you have been outside of the US. The question is, where do you permanently reside? It should be pretty simple to prove if your primary place of residency is the US. It will be just as simple to get your green card revoked if you can't prove it.

That is not true, the time outside the US is relevant if more than 1 year, its illegal to lie about stay outside the US for any period of time and will cause serious consequences.